Tired
by JellieEllie
Summary: This is a short little thing that I wrote way before "Always", so things are still a little rocky between Caskett. Angst, and since I'm not gonna continue, somewhat of a cliffhanger.


He's tired and fed up with her running away and lying to him. He just wants to get this over with, see what this is really about.

He's nervous, not sure what to say, but deciding his writer's mind will come in handy when the time comes.

He needs to do this. He needs to hear the truth. From the liar herself.

As they're walking and right about to take a turn, Rick gets in her way and pushes along to the elevator. She looks at him with a questioning face.

"Castle..?"

He stays silent, says nothing, just keeps trudging to the door, dragging her along with him.

His expression is one Kate hasn't seen, doesn't remember seeing besides when he is hurt beyond comprehension, but even this doesn't compare to before. She's starting to get nervous, but tries to calm herself down, believing nothing is wrong.

Once they're inside, Castle hits a random floor, waits for the doors to close, and flips a switch.

The switch. To make the elevator stop.

She's definitely nervous now.

In all honesty with himself, he's nervous, too.

The elevator jolts to a stop, that makes both of them almost lose their balance, and the lights turn off, making it pitch black. Then green-illuminated lights appear from the ceiling, giving an ugly green tone to the inside of the elevator.

He turns around and stares at her in the corner of the elevator. She so badly wants to shrink and disappear, or just run away. Like she always does. But she can't. He has her cornered.

She tries again. "Castle? What's wro-"

"Spit it out" he demands in a voice a bit too hard to start out with. He hides his cringe at the sound of it. He knows this isn't going to end well.

Her eyebrow gives a slight quirk of confusion. "I don't-"

"Oh, you sure as hell don't know what I'm talking about."

Sudden realization hits her like a ton of bricks. _'Oh my gosh. He heard me' _She tries to hide the guilty look about to grow on her face. "Castle, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Yeah, that's definitely gonna make him believe her.

"Oh, okay, I understand, you don't remember _anything _about today, do you? Oh, and let me guess, you can't remember a _single_ thing about that day in the cemetery, either?" His voice is slowly rising in his sarcastic tone that's really making her feel bad now. She cringes. She thinks he's being too hard, but in the end, she also knows she deserves it.

"Rick I'm so-" She began uncertainly, but was cut off abruptly by his icy tone.

"Oh. You're_ SORRY_ now, eh? And what? Am I supposed to run to you and take you back into my arms?" Rick snarled, his sudden anger making her start.

She doesn't say anything more. She is outwardly displaying her armor, but on the inside, she's hurt and stunned by the amount of pure hatred in his gaze, and the fact that it was aimed at her.

Tears threaten to escape, but she has to stay strong. She knows that if she does break down, she will officially have no one to turn to, and comfort her.

"Rick, please. Just.. Just wait and hear me out, okay?" She doesn't trust her voice to say anymore since she can't swallow back down the lump forming in her throat. Her eyes are starting to sting.

He pointed an accusatory finger at her. "No. No. I'm _through_ with waiting, and I'm _through_ with us. Kate, I can't do this anymore, and I'm not going to be _strung _along by someone who doesn't _love _me back and instead, decides it's just better if you fucking _lie _to me. For _three _months, Kate. For three months. I waited. I waited, and you never returned a single. Damn. Call. Not a single one. I watched the life drain out of your body, I told you I loved you as I watched you die there. I gave you everything I could, I gave you everything, I even waited for three _years_ as you pulled me along like a toy. Well, I'm not a toy anymore, and you can't have me. Sorry Kate, but you lost your chance."

"Rick!" was all that came out before being cut off by a muffled sob. But a tear still has yet to fall.

He wants so badly to just take back all of what he said. He wants to swallow it all back down and comfort her, apologize, work this out like he always had with their problems in the past. But he's already hurt her with his words, words that were once used to write three novels worth of a love letter, why not continue? There's no turning back now, might as well get this over with. Fight or flight.

They suddenly feel a jolting in the elevator, the lights go out, and they start to hear voices outside of the elevator. Then suddenly, the doors to the elevator slide openly. They both look in the direction of the opening as the rush of cool, new air and light rushes in and replaces the haze of emotion previously inside.

"Um, hey. We got a silent alarm that this elevator stopped. Is everyone alright in here?" asked a serviceman in a blue jumpsuit.

"Oh, everything is fine" says Rick as he stalks out of the elevator, leaving a red-eyed, jaw-dropped, scarred Kate.

The two servicemen look to Rick, to Kate, then back again to Rick before exchanging glances, picking up their toolboxes, tipping their caps, and mumbling a 'good day' to Kate.

Hah. Good day. Sure as hell it's a good day.


End file.
